


The Middle

by FullmetalOckian



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A little bit of Shallura, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Artist Keith (Voltron), Bad Flirting, F/M, Fluff, Guess who loves coffee and hates tea?, I'm Bad At Tagging, Idiots in Love, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Keith is Trekkie, Lance loves tea and hates coffee, Long-Distance Friendship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Volleyball player Lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-15 03:39:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9216938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullmetalOckian/pseuds/FullmetalOckian
Summary: Keith’s world is ruled by 3 simple rules.•	Don’t get attached to people.•	Do NOT let yourself feel more than necessary.•	Never fall in love.So what happens when a weirdo from internet starts talking to him and breaks all the rules?





	1. Accidental meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This fanfic was bassed on a true story so you'll see the development of this two idiots. Hope you guys enjoy it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first Klance fanfic. This started as a oneshot but this is going to be a big slowburn for this two to fall in love.  
>  Comments and kudos are always welcome. Enjoy the reading!

Keith is a little ball of love hidden in a metal armor.

Been an orphan is not easy; changing adoptive parents per month and moving to different cities was half of his life. Until he met Shirogane’s family.  
For him they were just another adoptive family that wouldn’t last. At least that was what he thought. After 2 weeks of living with them the family started to care and love him. Despite the fact that he got to the principal’s office like four times in those two weeks. They cared for him as his own and Shiro was the happiest of them all. He became Keith’s big brother (More like a second dad) and protected him more than anything.  
Keith sure loved them, even if he didn’t say it.

Besides Shiro there was Pidge, his best friend aka: Partner in crime and Rolo. Rolo was kind of a friend? Well, they just hang out and make disasters together but the relationship wasn’t as the one he has with Pidge. After all he knows her since she was 6 years old.

The tale of a cursed prince disguised as a dragon saved by a peculiar boy starts like this:

Keith sure wasn’t a morning person.

Keith always woke up in the mornings at 9 am, drank a really heavy coffee and went directly to his art class. But this particular day a little evil gremlin asked him to wake up at 4 am and come to the movies for a marathon. Guess who forgot about it and is late?

“How dare you to get here this late young padawan!?” Says Pidge with an offended tone while throwing Keith some popcorn at the face. “You already lost the _Sixth sense_ and _The return of the Jedi!”_  
“I’m sorry? I didn’t hear the alarm.” Keith says while sitting beside Pidge and shaking off the popcorn in his hair. “I arrived the fast as I could.”

  
She was using the white scarf with the face of a toothy peanut Keith gave her for Christmas last year. He still remembers how hard it was to choose something for her. Keith wasn’t good at giving gifts; maybe he could have less trouble with giving books or CD’s, but _clothes_? Of course it had been Shiro’s idea. Yet he followed it. On a scale of 1 to 10 Keith’s regret about buying a dumb scarf was a 100. Pidge laughed for hours but she still liked it.  
“You better be sorry” She gives him the: you’re a shame for human kind look. “But you arrived on time for **The** movie.”  
“Don’t you dare to joke about **The** movie, Pidge”. He says and then looks at her in a warning but also playful look. After all it was **The** movie. It wasn’t a surprise that Keith and Pidge were crazy about conspiracy theories; after all they were not the same after the first episode from the _X- files._  
So which was **The** movie? It was a classic. One of the movies you really have to see before you die.

  
**The Matrix**

  
_Matrix_ is a big thing for everybody. But Pidge and Keith fit perfectly in the description of one thing called obsession. Keith is not the kind of person that gets really obsessed with something but Pidge sure is one. And since both of them spend a lot of time together… It was inevitable for Keith to love Matrix with passion.  
All days they had to watch one of them at least once. Creating theories and remaking the scenes was their daily tradition. No matter how many times they watched them, they never got bored.

“Brain freeze!” Pidge shouts making the three people that are there turn around to frown at her. Keith just feels a tiny little smile rise from his lips.  
“Pidge its 4 am. I can’t handle your awful screams this early” Keith crosses his left leg to rest it on the left one and stretches a little. After all he was still sleepy and tired. Keith didn’t sleep a lot and waking up at 4 am without a coffee is a crime on his routine.

“I wouldn’t scream if someone had arrived in time to remind me about the consequences of a morning smoothie.” She gives him a flat look.  
He puts both hands on the air. “C’mon I say I tried!”  
“I’m sure you did not even set the alarm on” Pidge says with a smirk forming on her lips. “Am I right you little sleepy head?”

Ok, _maybe_ Keith didn’t set the alarm on. But he has a great reason for that. All is Shiro’s fault. It may sound childish but he challenged him into a Mario Kart competition! Shiro perfectly knows that Keith is stubborn. Very. It started as a friendly game and end with both of them almost killing each other.  
“I can explain it.”

Her devilish smirk widens. “Maybe I would forget you if you spoil me a little.” He groans and throws his head backwards. “We’re gonna watch Matrix. The three of them right now.” Pidge drinks her green tea smoothie. “So you better make yourself comfortable on this tiny sits.”  
_______________________

  **Space dad**

  * Where are you?
  *  Keith
  *  I’m waiting for you, young man.



**Firelord_Zuzu**

  * Calm down.
  *  I’m coming
  *  Jeez



**Space dad**

  * Do not “jeez” me!
  * Be respectful with your big brother Keith.
  *  Hurry up, I’m leaving



**Firelord_Zuzu**

  *  Shut up already grandpa
  *  I’m already here



Shiro put his phone down to look at Keith walking towards him. His guitar on his shoulder, a pencil above his ear and a purple notebook on his left hand. Keith was going through a bad time with composing. He loved writing songs and creating more and more sounds. But right now he was blocked. He tried really hard to write something that makes sense but he couldn’t. He tried all he could. But nothing happened. Keith without music wasn’t a good thing; he loved his music more than everything. He could be on the worst situation but if he had music he would calm down, breath in and find a way out. But without it? That was hard.

“I hate my life.”  
“Coffee lack?”  
“Yep.”

Shiro handed him the cup of coffee and smiled. His smile was completely wonderful. Those kinds of smiles that can save dying kitties and resurrect people from the death. A warm and bright smile that makes everyone feels like a positive song from the radio station on a Sunday morning.  
“Thanks.” Keith takes a sip of the double shot cappuccino and sighs in relief. He needed caffeine on his system.  
“So…” Shiro got inside waiting for Keith to get inside. “How’s Pidge?” He asks with a curios gaze. He really missed her but since he was in university they didn’t meet so often.  
“Fine I guess… She was teasing all along.” He says with a flat look. Shiro chuckles at that. Is good to know that she hasn’t changed in this time apart. “Sounds like her.”  
“I can’t believe you used to babysit her, you are a man with a lot of patience.” Keith says with a gaze full of surprise. “How did you manage not to kill her?” Shiro just smiles and turns on the old beetle they had as a car, the song that was playing before he had parked the car starts playing while Shiro drives.  
“That is the power of love” He says with some kind of singing voice while listening to the sound on the radio. Damn you Huey Lewis and your cheesy song.  
When they arrive Keith goes directly to his room to study. This semester was hell and the damn homework was killing him slowly. Keith wasn’t a big fan of sleeping. He didn’t like sleeping but that doesn’t mean he didn’t need to sleep. This final week of exams before Christmas vacation has been the worst of all. Keith slept 20 minutes per day and that was making him consuming more coffee than usual. And because Shiro was a blessing for humanity he was always trying to make him relax and forget a little about his stress tendencies by giving him old books he had and shared his good CD’s. Keith was a book lover, so reading was a distraction and made him felt comfortable and safe. And Shiro wanted his little brother to feel just like that.

  
Shiro wanted happiness for Keith. He didn’t deserve all of what he had gone through; all of the shit life gave him without any reason. Keith was bright and was a beautiful human that was just trying to protect himself by being rude, cold and distant. But in the inside? Keith was the nicest, sweetest and extraordinary person you could ever meet. Only a few knew this; knew that the only way of protecting himself was hiding.

  
“You need to get a boyfriend.”  
Keith just groans in annoyance and looks at Shiro with a visible irritated gaze. “I’m trying to study here you know?”  
“I’m serious. At least I know that you like boys and not just your book protagonists.” Shiro says with his dad teasing voice while he sits on the bed to check out his messages. “You should go out on a date.”  
“I don’t need any date and I don’t need your advice **Dad**.” He says this remarking the Dad on his statement and throws a pillow directly to Shiro’s face.  
“Does Pidge have any friend she can introduce to you or something?” Shiro laughs at Keith’s face of amusement and irritation.  
“You’re unbelievable! Not even mom says these kinds of things.” He makes an adorable pout without even realizing it. Shiro still sees him sometimes as his 5 year old brother that used to steal Shiro’s books at night to learn how to read without help. He had a great determination since little.

~~Bzz Bzz~~

  
“Speaking of the devil…”

  
**PidgeOn**

  * Keith
  * WE NEED TO TALK
  * There’s this presentation I will have at the end of the year…



Oh no.

 

  * And I need a partner…
  *  And we’re pals right? You love me right? You care about me right? I’m the reason why you wake up in the mornings right?!



**Firelord_Zuzu**

  *  What the hell?
  *  Pidge why r u like this?



**PidgeOn**

  *  You love me anyways so shut up and listen
  * You will like it



**Firelord_Zuzu**

  * I won’t



**PidgeOn**

  *  I have not even told you yet and you’re already drooping out?



**Firelord_Zuzu**

  *  I don’t need to? I know I won’t like it
  *  Besides I’m busy



**PidgeOn**

  *  Rude Keith, very rude
  * I was considering building the star trek ship just for you...



**Firelord_Zuzu**

  * Wait
  * What does Star Trek has to do with your project?



**PidgeOn**

  * Come to my house and I will tell you 



_Star Trek huh? That’s a dirty move from you Pidge._

  
“Gotta go.”  
Keith knocked the front door waiting for Pidge to open. The house was exactly the same. The yellow tulips in the garden and the old discolored tree house in which Matt and Pidge used to play. They were still the lion paintings all over the outside of the little house. Keith used to play with them along with Shiro. He never wanted to be the prince so Pidge was the evil witch that tricked him to become a dragon. Shiro was the king and Matt was the good magician; he got obsessed with that after seeing The Lord of the Rings, he truly loved Gandalf the Gray. But there was no knight in shining armor that saved Keith from being a dragon. Never.  
Keith was so distracted inside his thoughts that he didn’t saw Rover running towards him to throw him over the tulips.

  
What kind of kid names his dog Rover? The one and only Katie Holt ladies and gentleman.  
Rover barks and starts to lick Keith’s face. Keith used to cry every time Rover did that because who likes dog saliva all over the face? Certainly not him. With the time he learned how to tolerate it and actually kind of miss it when he was far from the Holt’s.  
Then the door opens revealing the messed up brown hair of the Gandalf fanboy. “What have you done to my flowers?!”  
“It wasn’t my fault Matt!” He quickly gets up from the tulips to explain what the evil mastermind Rover has done.  
“C’mere you troublemaker!” Matt hugs Keith with a sweet smile on his lips. “We have missed you.”  
Keith isn’t good at physical contact. He never liked it a lot but Matt was his friend and he really did appreciate him enough to try and return the hug in an awkward way, with pats.

  
_Seriously Keith? Pats? You are a shame._

  
It has been a while since he was in this house for last time. He really wanted to spend the days with his childhood friend’s family but he had a scholarship to keep up. The problem with Keith was that he was talented in the areas that are not very valued. He wanted to be a musician and a writer but every time he said what he wanted to dedicate himself at, everyone answered him with the typical close minded ideas. ‘Yeah, but I mean a real carrier’, ‘You’ll end up on the streets boy’, ‘Don’t waste your talent in something like that’.  
“How have you been? How’s high school?” Matt asks with his hands on Keith’s shoulders holding him with appreciation. Matt’s taller than Keith just for a few centimeters and he started talking like a grown up man in the time Keith had not visited the house. What kind of 19 years old guy talks like that?  
Shiro and Matt were only thirteen when they met Keith for the first time. Keith used to be taller than Matt and was pretty aggressive for a ten year old but both of them accepted him without hesitations. The one he had trouble with was Pidge. She was jealous because Matt and Shiro’s attention was on Keith all the time. She made Keith’s life impossible. Bubblegum on his hair, Scratching all of his comics, Ruining all of his research about big foot and destroying his action figures just to name a few. But every time Pidge did something to him, he fought back and every time they teased each other they became closer.  
“Everything is fine…?” He says looking up at Matt with a shy smile on his lips.  
“It better be! You need to tell me everything about your art school.” Matt says excited and makes a gesture towards Keith to come inside the house. “But first you need to see Pidge right? She’s upstairs.”

Rover enters just behind them and starts an enthusiastic barking at the same time he pushes Keith to the stairs, it almost looks like he’s smiling.  
An ‘entrance prohibited’ poster hangs outside Pidge’s door. It isn’t a surprise found her room as a total mess. Robotic pieces on the floor, 20 empty water bottles and popcorn on the bed are the landscape for visitors.  
“I knew you would come! You are curious aren’t you?” She says as she stands up from the floor. “I need your help on this one.”  
“You do? **YOU** of all people is asking me for help?”  
“Of course I could finish this alone but…” She makes a brief pause looking at Keith. “I need to enter to the Garrison, I need the scholarship and you know, dad can’t pay it so I ehh… thought that I can get it and at the same time get the best grades this semester.” A sigh escapes from mouth. “I can do it alone but--”

  
“I understand” He says carefully to calm her down. Unconsciously she was pushing herself to hard. Pidge was able of doing it alone but she needed some rest. She was talented and she had everything to be a successful women in not such a far future but being someone recognized in the world has some sacrifices to face. After all she was always studying and just a few times she had time for herself; that was another reason why Keith decided to stop going to her house. He was a distraction.  
“Thank you.” She says honestly while approximating to Keith and then hugging him. Keith didn’t liked people touching him. He hated when people hug each other just for obligation but Pidge hugged him full of joy and love. Something he never fully get used to and never actually understood why people hugged each other. Like, it was just two or more bodies holing themselves thigh. Why do even people need that? But he never asked that question. He didn’t hate hugs when they were given with honesty. He secretly enjoyed every time a spontaneous act like that happened, a one made just for the pleasure of doing it.  
“But I need to explain you this! I need to create a robot for my robotics curse and if I get the best score I could have a chance on the Garrison competition and then I could get the scholarship.”  
“Okay, but what does this robot have to like… _do_?”  
“That’s when you appear! I tough that making an exact Star Trek ship could be a good idea but then I got another idea…” She says and crouches underneath the bed to grab something; it was a small dusty box. Pidge wipes it with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and then the familiar dark blue color with thunders all over the toy box reaches Keith’s gaze.  
“You want to build _Voltron_? The eighties cartoon robot?” Keith was trying to control himself, Voltron was his childhood. He LOVED Voltron but no one else liked it, not even Pidge. Just the saint Mr. Holt that showed him the old VHS with the first season on it, Keith found it by accident when he stumbled on the attic while searching for his little fingerless gloves. He became an addict and adored every single episode.  
“You mean your favorite cartoon robot? Yeah, that one.” With a grin Pidge gives the box to him and then picks up a notebook and a pen. “Give me some ideas.”  
________________________

After hours of working on the four sketches of the prototype they ended up watching some ridiculous movie on T.V. Then Keith sits up to check out his phone. And something happens.

_You have 7 unread notifications_  
_PidgeOn has updated their status_

  
**I need popcorn and tea.**  
6 likes 5 comments

  
**Hunger Games:** You are hungry Pidge? *Sad face emoji*  
 **PidgeOn** : I’m K Hunk  
**My-Hips-Don’t-Lie:** You also need therapy  
 **Pidge-On** : Tell me that when u put a decent user name.  
 **My-Hips-Don’t-Lie** : Ok, first of all RUDE!

And then… Keith does something that will lead them to the most unexpected thing in his life, just by commenting.

**Firelord_Zuzu** : You have eaten 6 marshmallows bags.

~~Bzz Bzz~~

**My-Hips-Don’t-Lie:** She did? OMFG!

Pidge comes back with a popcorn bag on his right hand and two sodas on the left. “Tell me you progressed while I was in the kitchen.”

_Curiosity_

“Who’s this guy?” Keith shows the screen with Pidge’s publication to her.  
“You mean my idiot friend? I go in the same school as he, why are you asking?” She passes the bag to Keith and sits on the floor. “He’s a good guy, a fucking tease but he’s nice.”  
**My-Hips-Don’t-Lie sent you a friend request**  
**Confirm – Delete**  
** Confirm**

  
“I’m bored! Entertain me.” Pidge groans and rests her head on Keith’s shoulder.  
“I’m working in your robot.” He says taking the sketch notebook to start working again after an awful Sharknado marathon.  
“Can we take a break?”  
“No, We already took one.”  
She groans and after a few minutes an idea goes through her mind.  
“Hey, I dare you to make a test.”

At this Keith looks up to see Pidge’s smile. He was sitting on the floor too. After all the floor is sometimes more comfortable than a bed right?  
“What do you mean?” Asks Keith with a confused look on his face.  
“The ones that are on internet, the looove ones.” She picks up her phone and shows it to Keith. “These ones: “Who’s your soulmate? Find out who’s your true love.” She reads with a weird infomercial tone.  
“I pass.”  
“It’s a dare Keith, your honor is on stake here.”  
Keith knew those tests are bullshit. He knew that the most unexpected person would appear because they were just made randomly but… Blame his stubbornness or his pride. But he did it. He pressed the button and…  
Your true love is: My-Hips-Don’t-Lie  
“Publish it.” She says. “It’s a dare.”  
He published it.

  
**Firelord_Zuzu**  
** My true love is: My-Hips-Don’t-Lie <3**

  
2 hours later he has 8 notifications.

  
**Space Dad** : My lil bro has founded love :’)  
**PidgeOn:** U got him? OMG  
 **My-Hips-Don’t-Lie:** Is that me?  
 **Pidgeon:** I think so.  
 **Firelord_Zuzu** : It was a dare! She dared me!!  
 **My-Hips-Don’t-Lie** : haha, so we’re meant for each other?  
 **PidgeOn** : Please don’t.  
 **My-Hips-Don’t-Lie** : Then… Hi love ;)  
 **PidgeOn** : Damn it McClain!

_You have one new message_

**My-Hips-Don’t-Lie** : Hi love

Keith just laughed at this. Of course he was joking and normally he would just ignore the guy and continue with his life. But Keith took one of the biggest decisions from his life.

He played along.

**Firelord_Zuzu** : Hi


	2. Take me Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry! Finals were killing me and I couldn't update anything guys. I hope you like this chapter.

Keith knew he was gay since he was 13.

He fell in love with one of the protagonist from the first books saga he read. Angelfall. About the apocalypse after the angels attack earth. Penryn Young was a strong female character Keith loved and admired a lot but the archangel Raffe was the one he was head over heels for. At first he was in denial. Boys were supposed to like girls right? Not boys. Right? So he told Shiro about this. About the strange feeling he had when a cute boy smiled at him or the way he didn’t find women attractive at all. Shiro just smiled and said “It’s okay to like boys Keith.” In that moment he just knew everything would be fine . Shiro said it was okay to like boys so what shouldn’t that be true?

But being gay doesn’t mean he has to like every boy he sees. He hated relationships. Every time someone flirted with him, he just ignored them but he has the right to casually admire certain kind of beauty in a gorgeous guy or _discreetly_ stare at the looks of someone passing by.

But the thing about being gay and in a hot boys band is that at first it’s **_hard_**. Yes, Keith is in a band. A good alternative rock one, with amazing guys that Keith cares about and hangs out with every Friday night. Today’s Friday.

As he enters to the old blue abandoned house he can hear the guys fighting over food already. He sighs and opens the white door with his left hand at the same time he holds a plastic bag full of snacks on the other one.

_Take me out by Franz Ferdinand_ plays on the background while Luke and Milo are fighting on the floor for some piece of… paper?

“What’s that?” He says with an unamused tone and goes inside the kitchen to find absolutely nothing.

“It’s--”

“Give it back!”

“Luke’s girlfriend number.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

Keith just rolls his eyes and opens the plastic bag and throws the chips towards Luke’s chest. “You have a girlfriend Luke?” He says with the usual teasing voice he uses for him. The fact that he’s the leader of the group and also the one every member of the band teases, makes Keith laugh every time. Keith met the gang a few years ago, on a concert. They sheared his good taste in music so they got along pretty well. The idea of forming a band came later when Milo got a crush on a white haired tall girl with stunning eyes. So, a way to impress her according to Milo, was forming a band. At first, they just sucked. They started as that one school band that was an awful cheap attempt of a useless cover group. But one thing Keith learned from _Sing Street_ is that _Rock and Roll is a risk. You risk being ridiculed_. But you got to try. That’s how **The Red Paladins** officially begun as a full self-composer band.  What a shame that the mysterious girl ended up being Keith’s boss at the cafe, Allura. He obviously refused to play the guitar and be the co-vocalist to impress her. Let’s just say he wanted to support Milo but he wanted Shiro’s crush with his big brother, not with the black curled haired boy he has as drums in the band. Don’t get him wrong; he does appreciate Milo but Shiro being that interested in someone is something you don’t see every day.  Time later they had a few concerts on local places and a few band battles getting the attention of some people and winning a small number of loyal fans.

“Don’t believe in him! He’s lying Keith.” Luke says with a high-pitched voice while Milo gets up from the floor and runs towards the kitchen to show Keith the paper.

“Get back here!”

“So, is this a girl number?” He asks and takes his red jacket off throwing it on the old yellow sofa beside the helpless Luke.

“Yes, it is. Our sweet Luke has fell in **_love_**.” Says Milo holding the paper close to Keith’s eyes with a wide smirk forming on his lips.

“Liar.” He makes an indigitated sound and gets up from the floor as he opens the chips bag.

“’Come on! At least admit you think she’s cute.” He smiles gazing Luke with a grumpy face. “Don’t deny cuteness. You do like her.”

Then the door opens and the other two group members appear. Both in the middle of an argument about what’s better, guitar or bass. But then they stop in the exact moment Luke shouts something about her not being his girlfriend. As soon as the guys hear that, it isn’t a surprise they start teasing him.

“Girlfriend huh? Keith, you knew about this pal?” Says the taller one with a big smile on his lips as he rests his arm behind Luke’s shoulders. This is Joa. The crazy guitar from the group. Keith is the co- guitarist and co-vocalist of the band. Maybe because he doesn’t want to be the center of attention on the performances. However, his voice has something that drags the attention of the public as he sings. “No idea.” He says as he shows the paper to both of them without any hesitation.

“We have a new mom then?” Says the red-haired bassist laughing hard with one hand on his mouth trying to hide his smirk and the other holding his orange backpack with a total mess inside. This is Jack, the bass.

“You’re unbelievable.” Says Luke chewing a bunch of chips as he talks with a visible frown forming on his face.

“Wanna know what’s unbelievable? The fact that we are listening to _Franz Ferdinand_ instead of the _titanic song.”_ Joa laughs after saying that and Milo plays the song chuckling.

“Dear god why have I done to deserve this?!” He groans throwing his head back with an amused look.

And then, they start singing.

 “ _Every night in my dreams_

_ I see you, I feel you _

_ That is how I know you, go on.” _

Keith can’t help it. He’s laughing and then he remembers the laughing from yesterday. The ones he had because of the stupid guy he met just 24 hours ago. What an idiot.

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Hi love

_What kind of guy starts a conversation like that?! That’s not what people do!_

**Firelord_Zuzu:** Hi

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** So, apparently, we’re meant for each other huh?

_Seriously? Did he just wrote **meant for each other**? _

**Firelord_Zuzu:** Now I understand the term karma.

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** What you are trying to say is that we met in a past life and we were together? Then our karma is to be together in this universe? **;)**

**Firelord_Zuzu:** Are you seriously doing this?

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** You mean talking to the love of my life?

**Firelord_Zuzu:** WE MET 15 MINUTES AGO

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Fate is fate my darling

**Firelord_Zuzu:** I already want to break up with you.

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** So, you do have a sense of humor, sarcastic boy.

**Firelord_Zuzu:** How do you even know I’m a guy? Like, I don’t post pictures of myself. _Ever._

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** instinct~

**Firelord_Zuzu: …**

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Fine! Pidge told me

This is weird. Keith having a conversation with some flirty guy he doesn’t even know? By text? And laughing about the dumb things he’s typing? **Weird.**

_He’ll eventually feel tired of talking to me and this will be over._

**They ended up talking for 3 hours straight.**

“Sing with us Keith!” Says Jack with his smiley face full of fleckless.

“Yeah! Join the _Get a girlfriend for Luke Gahan 2017 squad song_.” Milo says with an infomercial voice as he steps closer to Keith laughing.

“Sorry-- I just zoned out I guess.” He scratches his neck with a little nervous laughter as he looks at the 4 guys giving him a curious gaze. That kind of gaze that tells you without words: _I know it._

“What?”

“You met someone?” Asks Milo. “Or is it another fictional book character?”

“Wait no he’s just a friend of Pidge’s-- “

“Wait is it real? Like, a human being? Oh god. Who are you and what have you done to Mr. Fictional character lover?”

“You met a boy.” Declares Luke with a surprised smile. “It’s the first time you zone out for someone real!”

“Guys it’s not what you--“

“Who is it?” Asks Jack with a frown and curious sparkles on his big childish eyes. “Is he from the café? Are you bringing him here?” Jack was visibly excited about this.

 “You like him?”

“Wait what?!” Says Keith with a cracking voice full of confusion. “How do you--What are you even--? I mean, what?”

“Do we know him? Or is he new in town?”

“I don’t even know him!”

“Dude, that’s so depressing.” Says Joa as he pats Keith’s back.  

“We met yesterday okay? We talked for a while and that’s it. He’s an idiot so drop it.” The irritated look in Keith’s eyes was notorious. He _liking_ **that** guy? Nope. He wasn’t and will never fall for someone. Specially _him._

“You know what? Forget it! I’m gonna go to the cafe to **_work_** , thing we should be doing but you are more interested in talking about that guy. So yeah, no practice today! You happy now?”

“What’s his name?”

An incoherent groan comes from Keith’s mouth as he mumbles and curses under his breath. He just grabs his jacket and goes out from the house with a clearly annoyed aura. “C’mon we need information for the wedding plans!” Screams Milo in the background as the whole gang giggles and laughs loudly.

He slams the door carelessly and crosses the street with his fingerless gloves inside his pocket jeans, looking at the floor trying to figure out the exact reason why on earth they could think about him having a crush on someone he just met, is an idiot, and seems to flirt with 99% of the whole planet population.

**_~~ Bzz Bzz ~~ _ **

He gets distracted by the sound and almost stumbles with a street bump.

_This better be important._

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Good night sleeping beauty _;)_

_It’s not._

**Firelord_Zuzu:** Why are you still talking to me?

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** It’s my duty as your perfect soulmate

**Firelord_Zuzu:** Yeah, sure.

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Don’t be so cold babe </3

**Firelord_Zuzu:** Patience God, that’s all I ask for.

  **My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** </3

When he turns back to see if they’re still there laughing at his miserable existence, he sees a big cardboard from behind the window upstairs with big words and hearts written all over it.

**New chapel for gay marriages**

**Coming soon…**

“For fuck’s sake!” He rests his fingers in the bridge of his nose and tries to breathe in and out to calm a little before losing it and try to kill 4 teenagers.

______________________

“Who are you texting Lance?” Asks Hunk with one eyebrow raised and curious eyes trying to see the screen of the blue cellphone with stickers of constellations, planets and stars badly pasted over. And of course, the big NASA logo in the center. “Did you slept at all?”

“The fusion between the Firelord Zuko and the one and only Nico Di Angelo.” He says yawning and resting his head on his knees. “Define: _slept_.”

**_“Lance.”_ **

“Alright, alright.” He sighs and looks at hunk who’s standing and resting his back in the green wall outside the science lab. “I kinda did…?” Who’s he kidding? He didn’t got any slept last night because he was too busy talking with Mr. mysterious grumpy man.

“…Sure…”

“C’mon I was busy!” He stretches and yawns again more loudly this time. His eye bag a little too remarkable for Hunk not to notice makes him wonder what was so important to make Lance stay awake. He sits beside Lance to take a better look at his face. “With whom you said you were talking?” He asks with the usual protective mother tone he uses when Lance does not sleep at all.

“A friend of Pidge.”  He says vaguely trying not to give it a lot of importance because it’s not important. The guy is nice and kinda funny in his own way but nothing else. At least yet.

“Oh! The guy from yesterday? Your _soul mate_?”  He chuckles and pats Lance’s back.

“Laugh all you want but destiny brought us together.” Says Lance in a defensive way until he sees Hunks face and breaks out laughing at the same time as Hunk does. “I’m serious Hunk! Stop laughing.”

“Fine, fine. So how was your conversation with the love of your life?” He smiles gently and looks at Lance full of curiosity. Of course Lance’s always flirting with almost everyone he sees but there’s no doubt that Hunk wants him to have a partner. To settle down and be happy. Lance had many heartbreaking experiences with his previous lovers. They just broke up with him easily, like he was just a toy with only one function of a short period: To entertain them. Hunk has never liked any of Lance’s partners, neither Pidge. And every time someone broke his heart Lance’s insecurity about love grew bigger. Maybe that was the reason he had never introduce any of his partners to his family. Maybe deep inside he knows he’s just being used but still hopes he’s not... And still waits to find someone that truly loves him. He’s the prince waiting in a tower, waiting and waiting…

“It was funny, it’s easy to push his buttons and annoy him a little.”  He says looking at one funny looking cloud with one big smile on his face. “At first I just wanted to, you know, talk for a bit with someone ‘cause I was bored but well… He seems pretty cool though.”

“Let me guess… Everything was fine until you started flirting and then he felt harassed and now you are worried he won’t answer again, right?” Hunk can’t help but smile at Lance’s reaction, his face is in shock and he can swear he knows what’s coming, he knows exactly what he’ll answer

“Of course not!” Says Lance with such a high-pitched voice that two girls passing by look at him with a confused look on their faces.

_There it is._ He thinks to himself.

“So soon and the divorce is already coming?”  

“Go ahead, say it out loud so the girls will know I’m available.” He points finger guns towards both girls and winks full of confidence. Both of them blush and giggle as they walk away. Hunk just gives him a flat look.

 "Sooo what's his name?" Hunk asks looking at Lance's cocky face.

"Well... I don't actually know that... **yet**." He says lowering his voice a little. “But I will!” Then he picks up his phone and starts typing at the speed of light his password: _Sharpshooter_.

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Hey Emo king aka: Gerard Wey 2.0

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** I need to know your actual name right now.

**Firelord_Zuzu:** Did you just…? **Oh my god why.**

**Firelord_Zuzu:** First, Gerard Wey is my idol so shut up.

**Firelord_Zuzu:** Second, _why_ do you want to know my name?

**Firelord_Zuzu:** And third, WHY ARE YOU STILL TALKING TO ME?

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** First, yes, I just did.

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Second, I NEED TO KNOW.

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Third, DESTINY BROUGHT US TOGETHER.

**Firelord_Zuzu:** I hate u so much.

**Firelord_Zuzu** has changed your name to: _Drama Queen_

**Drama Queen:** OK FIRST OF ALL RUDE.

**Drama Queen:** has changed your name to: _Fake Nico Di Angelo_

**Fake Nico Di Angelo:** DON'T YOU DARE TO MESS UP WITH NICO

**Drama Queen:** Guess what? I just did.

**Fake Nico Di Angelo** : I’m never telling you my name.

A helpless smile invades Lance, One full of happiness and a feeling he can’t quite describe. He’s laughing and he’s enjoying the company of someone who isn’t actually there; but he feels a hot oven warm up in his chest.

**My_Hips_Don’t_Lie:** Pidge, what’s your friends name?

**Pidgeon:** Keith, what do u ask Romeo?

“Keith, his name is Keith.” He whispers so low that Hunk doesn’t hear him at all "What did you say?" He asks.

“Keith…” He repeats again like it’s the first time saying that name and then smiles even more.


	3. Moms

Keith is ten years old and about to be expelled.

Is he worried about that? No, he isn’t. Why? He did it on purpose. He wants to get rid of the new adoptive family as soon as possible and well, punching his classmate for no actual reason is the best excuse to get in trouble. The Shirogane’s are like every family he had been _member_ of. They start nicely, all smiley and kind but as soon as he is himself, with all the mistakes and problems they decide that _for the best of all_ It’s better to leave him. He’s used to this, so he helps them in the best way he can, accelerating the process. He knows every family is the same, and prefers the silence and loneliness of the orphanage. At least he thought so until _the_ _woman with the black moon near the smile_ proved him wrong.

Who was this woman? He didn’t knew her name at the time but he did eventually started calling her mom.

He’s sitting on a green bench outside the principal’s office, even through his black headphones he can hear Mr. Shirogane trying to defend him, but he doesn’t care. He’s too busy listening to _Billy Joel’s, All for Leyna._

Until she came in.

She isn’t really tall, but he is obviously smaller than her, he was a ten-year-old after all. She has a side ponytail with curls at the end of the hair. For Keith they seem like some kind of weird octopus; Keith really likes her lashes, they are so big and pretty that he wants to touch them. But the black moon is the thing he likes the most. The black moon is a small dot in her skin, on her cheek, but he didn’t knew how that was called.

She steps closer and sits down right next to him. Her tired eyes said it all, she was going to get rid of him, he could see that even through her glasses.

“I know what you are doing.” She says without even looking at him, instead she looks at the Autumn leaves fall. “You want us to give up on you, isn’t it?”

He doesn’t answer, he doesn’t have to do it. If she already knows why would she want a concrete answer from him?

“I’m afraid to tell you it’s not working Keith.”

_What?_

She looks at Mr.Shirogane and sighs. “That man is not planning on letting me down on this. I know he won’t give up on you Keith, neither am I.”

“You say that now…” He whispers almost talking to his insides. He can still hear Billy Joel’s voice through the old headphones, He’s trying to distract himself by looking at the Walkman in his hands.

“Yes, I say it now… And tomorrow I’ll tell you the same, and the next day, and the next day, and the next.” The determination in her voice makes Keith feel a little anxious. He had never found anyone willing to fight for him. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up, he can’t trust her because if he does, she’ll eventually betray him. But there is this little thing inside his chest, that small part of his world, a tiny piece he didn’t knew how to call until her mare existence became that world: hope.

Then he looks at her and his heart brakes even more. She’s trying. She’s trying so hard for someone that doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t deserve this kindness, he doesn’t deserve Mr. Shirogane wishing him a good day at school every morning, He doesn’t deserve Takashi’s smiles and care, and most of all he doesn’t deserve Mrs. Shirogane’s efforts.

“But I… I don--.” He feels the warm of her hand resting on his cheek with such a delicate touch it almost seems like a soft feather is touching him instead of a hand. Now she’s looking at Keith with a tender gaze and a small, but genuine soft smile.

“I’m not giving up on you Keith.”

Keith promised himself he would never cry in front of someone. But that day? He didn’t realize he was crying until his Walkman and headphones fell into the floor as his heart did too. He didn’t knew he needed this. These words of comfort, this person in front of him, this bizarre and crazy little thing called love.

“Please don’t do it…”

 

                                            ________________________________

“Mom! Where’s Bowie?”

Bowie. The cat.

Bowie was a stray cat from the neighborhood; He came and went from one place to another. Everyone said he couldn’t stay in one place for too long. Bowie became part of the Shirogane’s after he got in a fight with other two cats and both Keith and Shiro rescued him before he died. It wasn’t a surprise when Keith became a little attached by the fluffy devilish cat. They were pretty similar and still are.

 Both are problematic as hell, in Bowie’s case he refused to sleep on the floor, he hated it. And so, he decided to sleep above Keith’s head or inside the bathroom between the towels. Shiro tried to warn Keith about: _not getting attached to the cat because he doesn’t like staying for too long_ thing.  But at the end the cat did liked staying there. Every time Keith came back from school, the cat would immediately wake up and run towards him so then he could climb up from his legs to his shoulders.

 He was named Bowie after Keith became obsessed with David Bowie. He was his idol and still is, his inspiration and mostly the reason why he decided to get involved with music. And that’s something he will always be grateful for.

“I haven’t seen him Keith, ask Shiro.” Says Keith’s mom with a somewhat distracted tone. She seems a little busy accommodating some papers from work. Keith can’t blame her; her work is very stressing and even worse when the manuscript delivery is so close and she has to push the writers from the projects she is working on to deliver them in time.

“He’s already helping me look for him.” He looks down, gazing the draft in his mother’s hands. He always loves to read them before they are published.

“You want to take a look?” She moves the draft near Keith and rests her head in the dinner table she was working on. Keith immediately sits down and starts reading it.

Since the beginning Keith loved reading every book he could find. But when he became a member of the Shirogane’s, he even could read books that weren’t public yet. His mom works as a book editor. And he has the privilege of watching the entire process of creating a book.

 For her, Keith’s opinion has become really important. He has great ideas and knows exactly what to add when a writer gets stuck on one scene. She recognizes pure talents when she sees them, and Keith has pure talent. He writes in a way that makes you feel the exact same thing that he is describing. Things so simple as the way your hands feel when you hit something, how your hands feel cold but also hot at the same time. He can make you see things that you never actually thought about. Sometimes what he writes is complex, but other times it’s easy to read it. It has an enjoyable way of creating and every work from Keith has something that makes you addicted to it.

“I like it. She’s giving so much character development on this chapter.” He says smiling without moving his eyes from the draft. She takes a tea sip and sighs in relief. “You think so? I can’t concentrate recently, and I honestly don’t know if it has any mistakes.”

“Do I have to remind you how many times I’ve told you to go to sleep and rest a little yesterday?” He says laughing at how much that sounded like her when she scolds him for staying up all night.

“I’m aware.” She smiles while taking her glasses off. She closes her eyes and rest the bridge of her nose between the thumb and the index finger. She sighs in fatigue. “But now I’m finally done, so, let me help you search for Bowie.” Keith is about to say tell her she shouldn’t push herself to hard, that he can find Bowie by himself when the front door opens revealing a well-known messy brown-haired nerd.

“Hey Keith! I found your cat on my backyard teasing Rover.” She says in an unamused tone. Bowie is always sneaking around teasing every dog he can find, that of course, includes Rover.

        ________________________________

Lance is trying to survive among savages. His siblings are complete animals when it comes to having lunch. Being the youngest of them didn't make it easy either. Plus, his nephews are hungry today. As much as Lance would like to try and calm everyone, the house was a disaster every time his mother wasn’t home. And today was one of those days.

He just had to wait for her to come home and then have a decent meal. The only problem is that there is no place in the house where he can be without any interruptions. He loves spending time with his siblings but when all of them are almost killing each other out of hunger, it’s a no go.

Lance spots a small space in the lime-green couch and hurries before one of his brothers takes the seat before him. He tries to make himself comfortable, considering that four of his nephews are jumping on the couch.

“Uncle Lance! Play with us please.” Says the smallest one with the brightest smile possible. Her tiny arms looking for the embrace of his uncle as she jumps towards him. Lance catches her with both hands playing with her in the air. Her long brown hair looks messier from bellow. Lance doesn’t understand how it doesn’t get in the way when she’s playing. He can notice the small dimples forming on her cheeks, they look like two bright stars.

Both giggle as they play. “Next time, you better tell me when are you planning to jump sweetie.” He says smiling at her

“Uncle, your phone is ringing.” Says the oldest one grabbing the phone from Lance’s sweatshirt pocket.  “Do you want me to read them for you out loud?” He nods trying to hold the little one without her falling.

“It says: I found my cat.”

“Oh! That’s Keith! He told me his cat went missing in the morning.” Lance stands up and takes the phone. He immediately starts typing an answer. As strange as it seems, they eventually started to get along. Lance teases Keith and Keith answers sarcastically at him. It became a daily dynamic and Lance absolutely loves it.

 

For him, Keith is interesting. Something he wants to discover. And of course, he wants to become his friend. The thing is that he doesn’t know if Keith wants to be his friend too. Maybe he just talks to him because he doesn’t want to be rude with Lance, but minute details like telling him about his missing cat, makes him think he replies the messages because he enjoys talking to Lance. At least a little bit.

“Who’s Keith?”

“Well he’s kind of… like my… my friend? Or I hope he becomes one day.” Says Lance looking away from his phone and directing his smile towards his niece.

“You mean the one from--"

Just when his nephew was about to finish the sentence, Lance’s mom enters the room. He hurries towards her and hugs the small woman. Lance has always been one of the tallest ones of the family, that used to help him every time his siblings tried to tease him about something. So, his mother is a really small woman. But of course, she doesn’t have to be tall to be fierce. She’s the sweetest and kindest person you could ever meet. Unless she gets angry. There’s nothing scarier than that.

 Everyone starts helping her with the food. Soon everything’s ready and the table is served. When Lance’s about to finally eat, he hears his notification tone.

**Fake Nico Di Angelo** : I’m giving Bowie a bath. He’s incredibly dirty right now.

**Drama Queen** **:** DON’T YOU DARE.

**Drama Queen:** Cats hate that.

**Fake Nico Di Angelo:** I know, that’s why I’m doing it. It’s kind of a punishment.

**Drama Queen:** Have I told you how evil you are?

**Fake Nico Di Angelo:** Every single day, thank you very much.

**Fake Nico Di Angelo:** Hey, I gotta go. Talk to you later?

**Drama Queen:** Sure! See ya babe _;)_

Lance suppresses a laugh as he types. Then, suddenly he hears his mother talk.

“Lance, _stop_ texting.”

“Sorry, I won’t--” He hears the notification tone again and quickly opens the text.

**Fake Nico Di Angelo:** STOP CALLING ME THAT.

He laughs again and looks at his mother's irritated look. “No cellphones on the table.” She says firmly. Then Lance, laughs again louder.

“Who are you talking to anyway?”

He thinks for a moment about what are they right now. What kind of bond are they having exactly? Or maybe what bond he expects to have. He doesn’t want to rush things and ask him directly if he thinks about him as a friend. Well, at least they aren’t complete strangers now, but he wonders if Keith thinks of him as something more than just _the guy that sends pickup lines every morning._

Lance looks up to his mom and replies, “I’m talking to a friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the reading! Comments are always welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive the bad user names please.


End file.
